In news this week, Olive Garden is set to pilot call-ahead seating, advice on how to leverage mobile technology to optimize work flow, the importance of patent trolls for restaurateurs, and ways some top CEOs are empowering their employees to meet guest needs.

Popular convenience store chain 7-11 has just launched their own mobile rewards app to help consumers find more ways to get rewarded for the purchases they make every day at 7-11. In a press release issued on March 9, 7-11 announced the arrival of 7Rewards, a loyalty program that rewards customers with free beverages after a certain number is purchased. 7-11 is known for its beverage selections, including the famous Big Gulp Slurpee, and that's one reason the retailer wanted to rewarded their customers' loyalty with free drinks.

In news this week, ApplePay adds Jamba Juice and 13 others new retailers, Starbucks Plans Expansion of Mobile Order and Pay, the balance of power in online travel is shifting East, and QSRs are turning to digital management solutions to attract and retain millennial employees.

Subway, the sub sandwich chain with over 46,000 locations throughout the world, has launched a new test of its loyalty program connected to its Wi-Fi. A partnership with Turnstyle Solutions, a location-based mobile marketing company, is currently rewarding loyal Subway customers with a free sandwich in select stores in Northern Ontario. Subway shared the announcement via a press release on The Point of Sale News website.

ARTICLES FROM THE RLPSA

Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) face unique challenges when it comes to loss prevention. We caught up with Joe Verber, president of RLPSA (Restaurant Loss Prevention & Security Association) and senior manager of loss prevention at Yum! Brands for his expert insight on how LP professionals in the QSR space can address these challenges and where they can turn to for guidance and support.

Loss prevention is essential to the success of any business operation and that critical responsibility is no different to those in the restaurant industry. The Restaurant Loss Prevention & Security Association (RLPSA) offers restaurant LP professionals the opportunity to become involved in strengthening education, best-practices, legislation, services and technologies benefiting those whose responsibilities are to protect company employees, customers and assets.

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

I attended the 2015 NRF BIG Show in New York a few weeks ago, and while retailers made up the bulk of the 33,000 attendees, solutions providers and industry professionals alike filled the halls of the Javits Center to learn more about the various topics facing retailers today. Chief among those topics — EMV adoption — also affects hospitality. Here’s a recap of a session we attended that provides insight into what small to midsize retailers can expect from EMV. I think you’ll find it helpful as the October deadline approaches.

Deloitte’s recent insightful report, Hospitality 2015: Game Changers Or Spectators?, is a crystal clear look at what the hospitality industry should be doing in 2015 and beyond to bolster customer engagement. Deloitte reports that there are new rules to the game, and those companies that want to win had better restructure their bench.

FEATURED HOSPITALITY CASE STUDIES

Movie Grille is a new, intimate, dine-in movie theater residing in the heart of downtown Ogden, Utah. Its mission is to offer a richer movie-going experience to the local residents of Ogden by pairing plush amenities such as leather reclined seating with gourmet food and drinks. As a new venue, Movie Grille wanted a modern point of sale system that could manage their physical operation while providing robust analytics.

When it comes to payment data security, what you don’t know certainly can hurt you. And when you operate several retail stores—each with multiple payment and other network-attached devices—there’s plenty you don’t know at any given point.

Bratta’s Piano Bar and Ristorante is a table service restaurant with live entertainment that serves a wide array of signature entrees and Italian dishes handed down from new owner Michael Bratta’s family recipes.

In 1987 the first Hungry Bunny™ restaurant opened in Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company’s vision is to provide the families with a total restaurant experience, to create a feeling of a “home away from home”. Most of the stores have comfortable sections designed for families to enjoy their meal where parents can privately talk while children enjoy playing in the “play place”. From the first store that opened, Hungry Bunny has put product quality first. Hungry Bunny’s objective is to serve each customer the same delicious and safe food no matter what outlet they visit. Today Hungry Bunny has 35 Branches throughout KSA with franchisees in Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Yemen.

FEATURED HOSPITALITY CONTENT

For merchants, the need for a reliable POS system is irrefutable. They speed up the check out process, efficiently manage inventory, and monitor sales so that business owners can keep a pulse on what is happening within their daily operations. Unfortunately, POS Systems can also potentially require a good amount of costly upkeep. With the myriad of POS options available in today’s marketplace, selecting the right POS system to meet your business needs can be a daunting task.

ABOUT HOSPITALITY LEADER ONLINE

Hospitality Leader Online is the essential resource for hospitality executives at both corporate and franchise organizations. Our primary editorial focus is innovation — delivering the next-generation technologies and the attainable, forward-thinking best practices in the guest experience that will separate your business from the pack. Hospitality Leader Online's editorial staff, the analyst community, and other hospitality executives and thought leaders cover a broad range of topics, including innovation in technology, operations, marketing, and loss prevention, which helps hospitality executives make informed solutions-spending decisions.

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LATEST HOSPITALITY HEADLINES

In news this week, POS systems are getting an overhaul to help combat security breaches; NexGen Hotels are bringing flight information to their guests; minimum wage hikes are forcing Washington State’s restaurant industry to find ways to adapt; and the Tennessee Aquarium is utilizing beacon technology to create “citizen scientists.”